'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎88] (759/1024)

88 Dehli and Agra capital - I
take it in like manner, all paffeth with exprellions of rallcry and gallantry. Cbah-
Jehan^ who did not hate the Sex, would hill multiply this Fair, and have it at all Fe- ‘
Itival days, though he knew it did not very well pleafe fome Omrabs. But there is one
thing, which to me feems to be a little too extravagant i which is, that thepublick
Women, I mean not thofe of the Bazar^ but thofe more retired and coniiderable ones,
that go to the great marriages in the houfes of the Omrahs and Manfib-dars to fing and
dance, thofe that are called Kenchen, as it you fhould fay, the guilded, the blojfming
onesi that thofe , Hay, did alfo enter in the time of Chah-Jebm into the Seraglk
at fuch Fairs, and there pa {fed even the whole night in tinging and dancing. Thefe
are not of that fort which proftitutethemfelves promifcuouily to all i and they are moll
of them handfome and well apparelled, and excellent fingers and dancers, after the
mode of the Country, furprifmg in the fupplenefsof their body, and the nimblenefs of
their motions, yet in the upfhot of the rank of Publick Women. C bah-Jeh an was not
content only to have them come to the Seraglio at thofe Fealls, but when they came
to falute him, according to that antient cuftom that obligeth them to come every Wed-
nefday to doobeyfanceto the King in the Amhas^ he often made them to enter there,
and to pafs all night with him in fuchfports and boufanries^Aureng-Zebe is more ferious,
he fuffers them nottocome into the Seraglio : he permits only foot to abrogate the cuft
om) that they may ordinarily come every Wednefday to give him the or Salute, in
the Am-k#^ at adiftance, but theymuft prefently return home again.
Bur lince we are upon thefe Feafts and Fairs, and (peak of thefe Kinchzfts, what hurt
were it if i ihould tell you a ifory to make you merry, of one of our French Men * lince
Plutarch is of opinion, that little things are not always to be paffed by , and that they
often mind us more of the genius and temper of men than the greatejl. This French
Man called Bernard, was at this Court about the latter years of King Jehan-Gune, <He
muff needs have been fome good Phyfitiam, and withal Excellent in Chirurgery, accord
ing to the relations that are made of him. He vvas welcome to Jehan-Guire, and be
came very familiar with him, to that degree that they drank and debauched together.
Nor did this Jeban-Guire ever think on any thing, but a good cup and merriment, leav
ing the management of the State to his Wife, the renowned Nour-Mebale, or Nour-Jeban-
Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. , which he ufed to fay, had wit enough to govern the Erfspire without his giv
ing himfelfany trouble about it. Befides that this our Country-man had of the King
ten Crowns daily pay, he gained yet more by treating thofe great Ladies of the Seraglio,
and the grand Omrahs, that all made ufe of him, and prefented him who could heft,
becaufe he was both fuccefsful in his Cures, and extraordinarily favoured by the King:
But he was a man that could keep nothing, what he received with one hand, he at the
fame time gave away with the other,fo that he was known and loved by al],efpecially by
thofe Kenchens, upon whom he made great expences, having always a fet of them that
paffed the night at hishoufein finging and dancing. Meantime he chanced to fall in
love with one of thefe Women that was young and beautiful, and danced exceeding
well; but the Mother apprehending leaft the Daughter, by proftituting her fell, ftiould
lofe her ftrength and vigor (as it will fall out) would not let her go cut of her fight: fo
that could never find any other way to compafs his ends but this. One day
when theKing made him a Prefent in the before all theOmrahs, for a confi-
derable Cure he had done in the Seraglio, he very fubmiflively gave his Majefty thanks*
waving the Prefent,but inftead of it, begged this favour of him, that he would vouchfafe
to give him this young Kencbeny, whicl\ he was amorous of, and which Food behiiid
him, ready to make the ufualobeyfance to the King. The whole Affembly brake out
out into laughter to fee him wave the Prefent, and to hear him make fo ridiculous a de
mand, he being a Chrifiian, and the Woman a Mahometan and a ifBut Jeban-
Guire, who never troubled his head much with Mahometanifm, and could not hold
laughing aloud, prefently commanded that this young Woman (hould be given him,
faying, Lay heron his (boulders, and let him carry her away. So faid, fodone ? and
in the prefence of the whole Allembly this ife«ck« was put on Ber/i^’s back, who
went away thus charged, and carried her to his houfe.
I cannot forbear giving you here fan account of a divertifement, which ufually tnefe
Feafts end with, and which is unknown to us in Europe : and that is the combat of the
Elephants, which the King, the Ladies of the Court, and the Omrahs do behold from
feveral apartments of the Fortrefs, and which is (hewn before all the people in this great
fandy place which looks to the River.